The POPVOX Blog

From our Hill Sources: Congress starts work on Wednesday because of the Jewish New Year, and when it ends on Friday, the House and Senate are not expected to be in until after the November election.

That means any legislation that Congress might consider related to the expiration of tax cuts in January 2013 and required spending cuts under the "Sequester" will not be taken up until the four weeks of the "Lame Duck" session planned for late November and December.

The House will take up several "suspension bills" and will consider a bill reallocating visas to foreign nationals with advanced science degrees. The Senate will take up the short-term spending bill (continuing resolution).

Congress might also consider a bill extending U.S. farm programs, which expire at the end of the month. There was some talk of a three month extension, but as of Friday, House leaders had not released legislation.

The Senate

The Senate will take up:

• HJRes 117 The six-month spending resolution for 2013. The House passed this bill last week, and it is the only must-pass bill of the week. It funds the government through late March, and reflects the agreement by House and Senate leaders to keep the government operating through the elections to avoid any talk of a government shut-down.
• S 3457 The Veterans Jobs Corps Act: The Senate worked on this bill all last week, which creates a $1 billion job training program for veterans. It is unclear whether it can be completed this week due to Minority demands that some amendments are considered.

The House

• STEM Jobs The STEM Jobs Act: this bill, from Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), eliminates the diversity lottery green card program and reallocates up to 55,000 green cards a year to new green card programs for foreign graduates of U.S. universities with advanced STEM degrees.
• HJRes 118 A joint resolution that disapproves of the Department of Health and Human Services rule that allows states to apply for waivers from certain aspects of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) law. (Under the Congressional Review Act.)
• HR 3409 The Stop the War on Coal Act: puts limits on federal environmental regulations on the coal industry.

The House will also take up more than two dozen suspension bills, which will receive less debate time but will require a two-thirds majority for passage. They are:

• HR 733 the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act
• HR 1461 the Mescalero Apache Tribe Leasing Authorization Act
• HR 2827 to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to clarify provisions relating to the regulation of municipal advisors
• HR 2903 the FEMA Reauthorization Act
• HR 3099 the Buffett Rule Act: a Republican response to the President's "Buffet Rule" proposal to increase taxes on millionaires. This bill would allow people to make donation to reducing the federal deficit on their tax filings.
• HR 3110 the Grape Region Accelerated Production and Efficiency Act
• HR 3319 to allow the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to determine the requirements for membership in that tribe
• HR 3783 the Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act
• HR 4124 the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act
• HR 4158 to confirm full ownership rights for certain United States astronauts to artifacts from the astronauts' space missions
• HR 4212 the Contaminated Drywall Safety Act
• HR 5044 the Andrew P. Carpenter Tax Act
• HR 5910 the Global Investment in American Jobs Act
• HR 5912 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the use of public funds for political party conventions, and to provide for the return of previously distributed funds for deficit reduction
• HR 5948 the Veterans Fiduciary Reform Act
• HR 5987 the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act
• HR 6060 the Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Extension Act
• HR 6118 the Taking Essential Steps for Testing Act
• HR 6163 the National Pediatric Research Network Act
• HR 6296 the Disaster Loan Fairness Act
• HR 6324 the Cutting Federal Unnecessary and Expensive Leasing Act
• HR 6361 the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act
• HR 6368 the Border Security Information Improvement Act
• HR 6375 to authorize certain Department of Veterans Affairs major medical facility projects and leases, to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend certain authorities of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
• HR xx to provide flexibility with respect to U.S. support for assistance provided by international financial institutions for Burma
• HRes 526 expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the establishment of a democratic and prosperous Republic of Georgia and the establishment of a peaceful and just resolution to the conflict with Georgia's internationally recognized borders
• HRes xx Honoring the four United States public servants who died in Libya and condemning the attacks on United States diplomatic facilities in Libya, Egypt, and Yemen

(If you'd like this alert emailed to you directly once a week, please send me an email at rachna@popvox.com.)

Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.